Event organizers say area young people have stronger work ethic and commitment to community service. Girls in this area are different, according to the organizers of Girls World Expo. Girl’s World Expo organizes one day events across the country for girls age 11-18. Varinda Missett, president and founder of Girls World Expo says she was surprised by the extraordinary work ethic of the girls in this community and impressed by their commitment to volunteer service -- both of which far surpassed what she has seen in other parts of the country.
Girls world expo events focus on the educational and cultural development of girls 11-18. Missett, explained that smaller and mid-size markets are preferable to larger ones’, because smaller markets tend to be community driven areas where the expo is able to “make real connections with the girls and their families.”
For a market this size, Missett says she would normally expect 40-50 nominations for tthe 10 Girls of Merit positions. Girls of Merit are girls who have contributed to their community in some exemplary way. Missett was surprised, then, when she received 136 nominations from the Straus News’ area. “We could have given 50 [awards],” she said, “it was just amazing… A lot of people took the effort to recognize these girls.”
Girl’s Advisory Group
It wasn’t only the number of nominations that surprised Missett. For each event, Girls World Expo sets up an “girl’s advisory group” comprised of junior and senior girls from different high schools in the area. The group meets for 8 weeks before the expo as a “hands-on internship” and are the ones who really run the show, Missett explains. The committee that is putting together the September 30th expo has focused on a philanthropic and community oriented expo which, Missett says, is an “angle we haven’t seen before.”
The work ethic of this “girl’s advisory group” also set them apart from the others they’ve worked with across the country, Missett claims. While many of thegroups of teens need to be monitored and scheduled, she added, “these girls all work hard on their own. They’re very progressive—we don’t have to track them at all.” This group even got volunteer organizations to come to the expo and get people to pledge time at the event, according to Missett, which is also “something we haven’t seen before.”